SNAP benefits are issued on electronic benefits transfer or EBT cards that are used like debit cards. States are required to provide no-cost, EBT-only point of sale (POS) equipment to certain direct marketing farmers and farmers’ markets (DMFs/FMs) that are exempted from a requirement that SNAP retailers pay for their own EBT equipment (found in the 2014 Farm Bill).
In FY 2019, FNS offered states an opportunity to obtain funding to provide DMFs/FMs with equipment that can be used to process SNAP transactions. Twenty-nine (29) states asked for and received funding:
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Montana
- New Jersey
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- Virgin Islands
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
If you are the owner/manager of a DMF/FM that operates in one of these states, please check with your state EBT contact to determine if this option may work for your market or farm.